Slicing-machine



A.. M. DEMUTH. J SLICING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED SEPT. B, l9l9.

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SLICING MACHINE. APPLICATION msn SEPT. a, 1919.

1,337,596. Patented Apr. 20, 1920,

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ALFRED M. DEMUTI-I, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SLICING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application mea september s, 191e. serial No. 322,558.

T0 @ZZ whom t may-concern.'

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. DEMUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slicing-W/Iachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slicing machines of the type embodying a rotary cutter and a work or meat support4 ing platform or table reciprocable relatively one with relation to the other whereby a slice will be cut during such reciprocating movement.

Heretofore in machines of this character the work support has generally7 consisted of a reciprocating platform upon which a plate has been secured and which plate terminates short of the front edge of the platform to permit of the employment of an additional plate in advance thereof, the upper surface of which latter plate is Ycorrugated and over which corrugations the article slides as the same is advanced to the cutter, the corrugated surface operating upon the article as a means for holding the same against lateral movement and at the same time permitting the article to slide freely thereover as it ad vances to the cutter.

This construction has been found to be somewhat unsanitary as particles of food find their way into the cracks or spaces between theparts and remain until they decay as they cannot be removed or the parts thoroughly cleaned without dismantling a great many of the parts of the mechanism.

Furthermore with machines as heretofore constructed the contact of the cutter and the article creates more or less shock or jar to the feeding screw and the clamp standards with the result that eventually the parts become loose and strained.

To overcome these objections and dificulties and to provide an improved construction of work or meat support which is simple, durable, cheap, rigid and firm in construction and effective andeflicient in operation is one of the objects of the present invention.

A further object is to provide an improvedL platform embodying an element having an undulated or corrugated surface the undulations or corrugations of which eX- tend for substantially the entire length thereof and which surface terminates adjacent the cuttingedge of the platform, and a work or meat supporting plate intermittently operating upon said surface and itself being provided with a similar surface, the two surfaces being placed against each other so that the corrugations or undulations will interengage or nest to permit a relative movement of the elements and at the same time hold the parts against lateral strain due to the contact of the cutter and article or meat.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of work supporting table so constructed and arranged that it will cooperate with the usual clamp in such a manner that the work or article will be securely gripped between the two by the extreme end thereof to permit the article to be cut close to the end to prevent waste, and at the same time dispense with the necessity of placing an attachment upon the machine for that purpose, and which attachments are commonly known to the trade as last slice devices.77

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrange ment of the several parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying d-rawings illustrating this invention, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a work support or table constructed in accordance with vthe principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view with parts omitted showing the manner in which the end of the work may be secured upon the table.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the bottom plate.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the bottom of the top plate.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a modified arrangement of the impalement pins.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates generally a reciprocating support or platform adapted to be given its reciprocating movement in any suitable manner well known in this art. Ad `acent the forward edge of the support l() 1s a cutter 11 also of the ordinary and well known type.

The support 10 embodies a plate or element 12, the upper surface of which is corrugated to form ribs 13 having intervening spaces 14, any number of which ribs and spaces may be provided, may be laterally spaced-for any suitable distance and extend substantially the entire length of the element 12, with their forward edges terminating adjacent the front or cutting edge 15. The crown or upper edges of the ribs or projections 13 are preferably flattened as at 16 so as to form sharp edges 17 which are adapted to bite or cut into the article for a slight distance, as the article passes thereover, so as to hold the article against a lateral shifting movement when the cutter 11 contacts therewith and also to hold firm that portion of the article which projects beyond the feeding plate and rests upon the plate 12.

The feeding plate 18 may-be of any desired size but is preferably of a length considerably shorter than the plate or element 12 so that when the plate 18 is spaced from the cutting edge 15 and the article secured to the plate 18 so that a portion thereof will project beyond the forward edge 19 of the plate, the article will rest upon the ribs or projections 13 and will be moved thereover as the plate is advanced.-

The lower face vof the plate 18 is also corrugated or undulated to form a series of ribs or projections 20 having spaces 21 arranged thereupon. The ribs or projections 20 are of a size and configuration to fit within the grooves 14 of the plate 12 while the tact with the worm 24 by means of a suitable spaces 21 are of a size and configuration to receive the ribs or projections 13 of the plate 12. It will, therefore, be seen that when these two plates or elements -12-18 are placed together or superposed the ribs and projections thereof will intereugage or mesh so that the two plates will he held in close proximity. These interengaging ribs or projections serve the purpose of preventingthe upper plate 12 from being strained laterally when the cutter 11 engages the article held by the plate 12, during` the reciprocation of the article support. They also serve the purpose of protecting from strain the standards 22 which are carried by the element 1.8 and upon which standards the clamp 23 operates. The ribs and projections also protect against strain the intermittent feeding device for fby a fixed support or by the plate or element 12. The half nut 25 is held in operative conspring 2'( and which spring is also protected against strain by the construction of the cooperating plates 12-18 neer/,596

It will therefore be seen that with this construction the parts will be rigid and firmly held against any undue strain and at the same time and by the construction of the plates 12 and 18 in the manner herein shown, they may be formed of thin material thereby reducing the cost and at the same time producing a firm and rigid structure.

The plate or element 18 is provided with a series of impalement pins or projections 28-2930 suitably arranged, and ,which project above the surface thereof so as to impale the article 31. j One series of these impalement pins, to-wit, the series 30, are arranged adjacent the front edge 19 of the plate 18 and in advance of the clamping element 23 so thatthe article 31 may be secured by its eXtreme end as shown in Fig. 3 by causing the impalement pins 30 to penetrate the same and by then bringing the clamping element 23 down upon the article, so as to hold the article` until it is cut up to the end or until the last slice as it is commonly called in the trade, has been cut.

These pins or prongs may be secured to above or driven through the ribs or thicker l portion 2O of the plate 18. The lower faces of these ribs where the pins are inserted are preferably slightly recessed as at 33 so that the heads of the pins will not interfere with the operation of the parts.

The front line of pins 30 may also he inserted in any suitable manner.

As shown in 6 and if it is desired to insert or secure the front line of pins 30 to the plate 18 in a manner that they will be substantially flush with the front edge 19 of the plate, the front edge may be recessed as at 34 and the bottom of the ribs recessed as at 35 to form a shoulder portion 36, in which event the end 37 0f the pins are deflected laterally and then driven into an opening 38 in the portion 36' so that the body of the pin will stand within the recess 34, the recess 35 being provided so as to permit the pins to be driven out by means of a suitable implement. lhile this form and arrangement of pins has been herein shown and described, it is not necessary to the succesful operation of the device that they lbe so arranged as the front line of pins may be so arranged that they come within or stand slightly back of the front edge of the plate.

W'ith this improved construction it will be manifest that the bottom plate 12 is constructed as one element or unit. .thereby dispensing with the necessity of 'providing a number of parts assembled as in the oldY or former construction of machines. With the present arrangement it'will be manifest that a sanitary structure is the result and one in which the parts may be readily wiped or cleaned without dismantling any of the parts. At the same time there will be no cracks or crevices formed into which food particles might lodge while at the same time a very efficient, rigid and simple structure will be produced.

Suitable stop devices 39 may be provided which are adapted to be engaged by shoulders l0 on the plate 18 to prevent the latter from being moved forwardly beyond the plate 12 to such an extent that it would project into the path of operation of the cutter 11.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to bevunderstood that many changes may be made in the size, proportions and shapes of the various parts and in the combination and arrangement thereof, within 'the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is 1. A; slicing machine embodying an article support, a cutter, said support and cutter being reciprocable relatively one with relation to the other, and means for intermittently advancing the article upon the support, the said means embodying superposed relatively movable plates, the adjacent faces of the plates having interengaging grooves and projections.

2. A slicing machine embodying an article support,` a cutter, said support and cutter being reciprocable relatively one with relation to the other, and means for intermittently advancing the article upon the support, the said means embodying superposed relatively movable plates, the adjacent faces of the plates having interengaging grooves and projections, extending in directions lengthwise of the feeding move ment of one of the plates. l,

3. A slicing machine embodying an article support, said support embodying an element having its upper surface corrugated, a feeding element superposed upon the rst recited, element land having its lower face corrugated, means for imparting a feeding movement to one of the elements, the corrugations of both of said elements intermeshing and extending in directions lengthwise of the feeding movement of one of the elements with respect to the other element, the said feeding elementbeing of a length somewhat shorter than the other element whereby the corrugated surface of the latter will project beyond the former.

4. A slicing machine embodying a work support and feeding mechanism, thev latter embodying superposed plates each of the adjacent faces of which are provided with grooves and projections extending longitudinally of the respective pla-tes, the projections on one plate fitting and movable in the grooves on the other plate, the grooved face of the lower plate adapt-ed to project beyond the front edge of the upper plate, and work clamping means carried by the upper plate to secure the work thereto, the upper plate being movable over the lower plate.

5. A slicing machine embodying a work support and feeding mechanism the latter embodying superposed plates each of the adjacent faces of which are provided with grooves and projections extending longitudinally and substantially the entire length of the respective plates, the said face of the lower plate being adapted to project beyond the front edge of the upper plate whereby a portion of the article upon the upper plate may project therebeyond to engage and move over said face, and means for securing theA article to the upper plate, the upper plate being movable over the lower plate.

6. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said table embodying relatively movable superposed plates having adjacent and intermeshing corrugated faces, the corrugations extending lengthwise of the plates, the corrugated surface of the lower plate extending beyond the upper plate to receive and support a portion of the article as it is advanced by the upper plate, the

high. portion of the corrugations of the lower plate being. shaped to form clearly defined edges to engage the article.

7. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said table embodying relatively movable superposed plates having adjacent and intermeshing corrugated faces, the corrugations extending lengthwise of the plates, the corrugated surface of the lower plate extending beyond the upper plate to receive and support a portion of the article as it is advanced by -the upper plate, the high portion of the corrugations of the lower plate being flattened to form oppositely disposed clearly defined edges at the crown of the corrugations.

8. A work supporting table for slicing niachines, said table embodying relatively movable superposed plates having adjacent and intermeshing corrugated faces, the corrugations extending lengthwise of the plates, the corrugated surface of the lower plate extending beyond the upper plate to receive and support a portion of the article as it is advanced by the upper plate, the high portion of the corrugations of the lower plate being flattened to form clearly defined edges at the crown of the corrugations, said edges extending throughout the length of the respective corrugations.

9. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said t-able embodying 'relatively movable superposed plates having adjacent and intermeshing corrugated faces, the corrugations extending lengthwise and substantially throughout the plates, the corrugated surface of the lower plate extending beyond the front edge of the upper plate to receive and support a portion of the article as it is advanced by the upper plate, impalement pins carried by the upper plate adjacent its front edge, and means cooperating with the said pins for securing the article upon the top plate.

10. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said table embodying relatively movable superposed plates having adjacent and intermeshing corrugated faces, the cori'ugations extending lengthwise and substantially throughout the plates, the corrugated surface of the lowei plate extending beyond the front edge of the upper plate to receive and support a portion of the article as it is advanced by the upper plate, impaleinent pins carried by the upper plate adjacent its front edge, means cooperating with the said pins for securing the article upon the top plate, and a stop device for limiting the relative movement of the plates in one direction.

11. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said table embodying superposed relatively movable plates the adjacent faces of which are each provided with tongue and groove projections extending throughout said faces in directions lengthwise of thevrelative movement of the plates, the tongue and-groove projections on one plate closely and respectively tting the tongue and groove projections on the other face, the tongue and grooved face of the lower plate projecting beyond the upper plate to form a rest with which the article contacts and moves across, and means for securing 4 the article to move with the upper plate relatively movable plates the adjacent faces Y of which are each provided with tongue and groove projections extending throughout said faces in Vdirections lengthwise of the relative movement of the plates, the tongue Y and groove projections on one plate closely and respectively fitting the tongue and groove projections on the other face, the tongue and grooved face of the lower plate projecting beyond the upper plate to form a rest with which the article contacts and moves across, and impalement pins carried by the upper plate, said pins being seated in openings in the plate and respective tongues.

18. A work supporting tablev for slicing machines, said table embodying superposed relatively movable plates, theadjacent faces of the plates being corrugated, the said corrugations iiitermeshing and extending lengthwise in the direction of the said relative movement, the upper plate being shorter than the 'lower plate whereby the corrugated surface of the lower plate willproject beyond the end of the upper plate and upon which last recited corrugated surface a portion of the article is adapted to rest as it is held by the upper plate.

' 14. A work supporting table for slicing machines, said table embodying superposed relatively movable plates', the adjacent faces of the plates being corrugated, the said cor` rugations intermeshing vand extending in the direction of the said relative movement, the upper plate being shorter than the lower plate whereby the corrugated surface of the lower plate'will project beyond the end of the upper plate and upon which last recited corrugated surface a portion of the article is adapted to rest as it is held by the upper plate, the said corrugations extending throughout substantially the entire width of the respective plates.

In testimony whereof I'liave signed my name to this specification, on this 6th day of September, A. D. 1919.

ALFRED M. DEMUTH. 

